Hannibal vs Rome:Why the Battle of Cannae Is One of the Most Important in History

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Hannibal vs. Rome: Why the Battle of Cannae Is One of the Most Important in History

One of the most pivotal battles in Western history, the Battle of Cannae, was fought 2,232 years ago to the year. The Battle of Cannae occurred on August 2, 216 BCE in southeast Italy between Carthaginian forces led by Hannibal Barca and Roman forces led by Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro. Both forces also included various allied soldiers. The battle, which ended in a major Roman defeat, is considered to be of great importance because of its tactical lessons for posterity, as well as the fact that it was the closest the Roman state had come to destruction in its history up to that point.

Of course, the Battle of Cannae did not spell the end of the Roman Republic; it not only survived the disaster, but ended up beating and eventually annexing the Carthaginians. Eventually, the Roman Republic became an empire whose cultural, political and legal legacy to the world is incalculable. But Rome might have never learned the lessons of toughness that made it so great had it not faced the existential crisis brought on by Hannibal’s invasion of Italy.

After the Roman Republic beat Carthage in the First Punic War (264-241 BCE), the Carthaginians looked for ways to strengthen themselves militarily and economically. As a result of the war, the Romans became the dominant naval power in the Mediterranean. One way in which this was achieved was the colonization of Iberia, then a mineral-rich region inhabited by various tribes. This effort was spearheaded by a Carthaginian general, Hamilcar Barca. Eventually, by 218 BCE, Hamilcar’s son Hannibal commanded Carthaginian forces in Iberia while using its resources to build up a significant force. That year, the Second Punic War began when Hannibal attacked the cited of Saguntum in Iberia, which had allied with the Romans despite being in the Carthaginian sphere of influence. Hannibal then took the initiative and invaded the Roman heartland of Italy through the Alps with about 38 thousand infantry, eight thousand cavalry and 37 elephants.

Once in Italy, Hannibal had the upper hand, and many tribes that had been conquered by the Romans either failed to assist the Romans or aided Hannibal. Direct confrontations between Roman and Carthaginian forces led to Roman defeats at Trebia (218) and Lake Trasimene (217), the latter of which is often described as the largest ambush in history. The Romans, by then desperate, appointed a dictator, Fabius Maximus, who adapted a non-confrontational strategy, avoiding open battles and engaging in guerilla warfare. However, as Hannibal marched to southern Italy, where he aimed to persuade many Greek and Italian allies of Rome to switch sides, hotter heads prevailed, and Paullus and Varro were elected Consuls. They raised an army of forty thousand Roman legionaries, forty thousand allied infantry, and 2,500 cavalry to confront Hannibal, who awaited them at Cannae.

From the start, even before the battle began, Hannibal demonstrated the strategic genius for which he is remembered for today. For example, he chose to camp his army in Cannae because it was a food magazine for the Romans, and was located in a region where Rome acquired much of its grain supply. These facts put much pressure on the Roman army. After the Romans arrived, Hannibal sent his cavalry to prevent the Romans from accessing water from the only river in the area, thus provoking a fight on his terms.

RE: Hannibal vs Rome:Why the Battle of Cannae Is One of the Most Important in History

GREY LENSMANWrote: (02-13-2018 05:15 AM)

ONE OF THE BIGGEST MYSTERIES OF THE TIME.

HANNIBAL WON THE WAR

DESTROYED TOTALLY THE ROMAN ARMY

THEN SAT FOR 14 YEARS WAITING FOR AN OFFICIAL SURRENDER???????????????????????????????

DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL.

GL

His campaign lasted decades which is mind blowing how long he was away from home with his men crushing the Romans along the way until the final end. The documentary is very detailed and needs a second viewing.

RE: Hannibal vs Rome:Why the Battle of Cannae Is One of the Most Important in History

GREY LENSMANWrote: (02-13-2018 05:27 AM)

PUDDY

HE WON THEN SAT ON IT FOR 14 YEARS

A DIFFERENT ACTUALITY TO THAT WHICH YOU BELIEVE.

GL

The history over the entire length of the campaign itself is mind blowing for me. Do you wonder what kind of outcome for us all would be, if he didn't wait?
And yes he did win, more so he crushed the Romans then waited to long.

RE: Hannibal vs Rome:Why the Battle of Cannae Is One of the Most Important in History

GREY LENSMANWrote: (02-13-2018 05:15 AM)

ONE OF THE BIGGEST MYSTERIES OF THE TIME.

HANNIBAL WON THE WAR

DESTROYED TOTALLY THE ROMAN ARMY

THEN SAT FOR 14 YEARS WAITING FOR AN OFFICIAL SURRENDER???????????????????????????????

DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL.

GL

It makes perfect sense.
Walled cities pre seigecraft were basically impossible to take by force.
Hannibal, with his army of foreign "barbarians" could not turn the populace of a single city against rome. Their armies, defeated, were not destroyed totally.

Rome simply played defense.
Hannibal couldn't exploit his military victories and rome kept armies jn the field to contain hannibal without directly confronting him

Rome successfully prevented another carthaginian army (Hannibals brother if I recall) from meeting up with hannibal and destroyed it.

Hannibal was an unmatched tactician but Rome had superior strategy.

Hannibal simply didn't believe the Italian cities would stay loyal to rome.
He lost because he was wrong.

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